


hello old friend

by CharlotteDaBookworm



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, Episode: s12e01 Spyfall Part 1, Flashbacks, Gen, Identity Reveal, In which The Master hasn't changed as much as you'd think, Spoilers for Episode: s12e01 Spyfall Part 1, The Doctor (Doctor Who) Uses They/Them Pronouns, alternate identity reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22327102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteDaBookworm/pseuds/CharlotteDaBookworm
Summary: “No, no, no.” That isn’t what they remember. This is what is wrong with this all. “I read your file.” They read all of their friend’s files. Curiosity; a curse they’ve always suffered from. “You were a champion sprinter.” 100 metres, on his school team, pride of the secondary.O hmms, his eyes darkening. He smiles, a coat of sharp malice.“Got me.”He whispers and the Doctor-
Relationships: The Doctor & The Master (Doctor Who), The Doctor | Theta Sigma & The Master | Koschei (Doctor Who: Academy Era), Thirteenth Doctor & The Master (Dhawan)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 185





	hello old friend

**Author's Note:**

> <> is mindspeech but i feel like that's easy to tell. They're only mentioned but- Ushas is The Rani, Mortimus is The Monk, and Magnus is The War Chief. Also it's pretty obvious but Theta is The Doctor and Koschei is The Master and all of these names are canon.

* * *

“Sorry,” O says, flushed. “I’ve never been good at sprinting.”

The Doctor stares even as their friends rush around them, even as they lead them into the cabin of the plane. Something niggles at the back of their mind. “Never been good at sprinting?” They ask.

“I was the last one in every race at school.”

“No, no, no.” That isn’t what they remember. This is what is wrong with this all. “I read your file.” They read all of their friend’s files. Curiosity; a curse they’ve always suffered from. “You were a champion sprinter.” 100 metres, on his school team, pride of the secondary.

O hmms, his eyes darkening. He smiles, a coat of sharp malice. “ _Got me._ ” He whispers and the Doctor-

And the Doctor--

\-- _They meet the eyes of their best friend as the Teacher searches his console._

_Koschei smiles at them, reaching out. **Contact**._

**_Contact_ ** _._

_< < **I am surrounded by imbeciles** >>_

_They roll their eyes. << **You think everyone is an imbecile** >>_

_He lifts his chin mentally, every inch the arrogant genius the teachers expected of him, but quicksilver amusement runs beneath his thoughts. << **It’s true** >>_

_< < **Harsh** >> They send back the feeling of dramatically clutching at their chest as if wounded._

_Amusement resounds back. << **Well you**_ **are _failing spatial cartography_** _> >_

_Theta scowls. << **And**_ **you’re _failing V3_** _> >_

_< < **As if I’ll ever need to know my way around a Type-40** >> Kos sends back with a scoff, full of casual annoyance; their best friend has never appreciated not being the best at something._

_< < **I have a feeling it’ll come in handy** >> Theta shrugs internally, letting the feeling echo across. Kos is unimpressed. They send an impression of a grin and a feeling of fun instead and Kos rolls his eyes. << **Trade you help in V3 for help in spatial cartography** >> They glance back at Magnus and Mortimus << **We can give Ushas some competition for the top spots** >>_

_Their minds echo with_ competition _and a grin and a << **I’m in Theta** >> just as the Teacher scowls at them all and informs them that the exam they were meant to take has been misplaced and would have to be taken another day._

_In the back of their mind, Koschei is awash with smug satisfaction that bounces between them._

_< < **Did you hack the test?** >> They ask, grin twitching at their lips._

_Kos sends them a smirk. << **Got me** >>_

_The console sparks and shuts down. Theta stifles their grin and Koschei’s focus zooms on him. << **Did you sabotage the console Theta?** >> He asks with vicious satisfaction._

_< < **Got me** >> They send back cheekily._

_Their best friend laughs, the sound filling their minds, and his eyes sparkle. << **Well-- >>**_

_“--_ Done.” ‘O’ says, eyes both dark and light, and there’s a familiar presence against their mind.

“What’s goin’ on-“ Graham asks in the background, confusion and the first inklings of fear mixing in his voice, but the Doctor cannot take their eyes off of the MI6 agent.

The name that slips out is one that they haven’t spoken in over two thousand _(in over four and a half billion-)_ years. “Kos?” They ask, shock and hope mingling in their hearts.

“Theta. _Hi._ ”

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> y'know before this month i'd never written a word of Doctor Who fic and now i've written two (short) oneshots about the same bloody episode. I'd be shocked except I have a Thing for well done reveals and angst and also the relationship between the Doctor and the Master so  
> anyway this is both short and bad but i'm tired and going stircrazy so have it anyway


End file.
